The By Request Collection. Kate Hardy

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СКАЧАТЬ color, his dignity and his normal life. But here he was, attending the party in costume, giving his terminal illness the middle finger.

      Eve glanced at Dr. Wilde, then down at her father when he pulled up beside her in his wheelchair and reached for her hand to give it a quick squeeze.

      “Nora and Reid asked if I’d come in,” he explained.

      Reid cleared his throat, drawing Eve’s attention back toward the front of the room. “As many of you know, Nora and I have been seeing each other for some time now. I’ve fallen in love with her, with her son, and I want to make things official.”

      Nora’s wide smile was infectious. Eve found herself grinning, knowing what was coming. She clasped her hands in front of her mouth, mostly to prevent people from seeing her chin quiver. She was so emotional lately.

      “I’ve asked Nora to marry me.” Cheers erupted in the room. “I’ve also asked to adopt her son,” Reid went on. Wrapping an arm around Nora’s waist, he pulled her flush against his side. “She said yes and we plan to be married on Thanksgiving right here on the Winchester estate.”

      A burst of applause, and congratulations filled the room. Grace squealed and headed for the happy couple. Eve looked down at her father, who had actually teared up. Apparently she wasn’t the only one with high emotions lately.

      “You didn’t know?” Eve asked.

      “I had an idea. She asked if she could host a family gathering on Thanksgiving and I told her that would be great and just what the family needed.”

      Eve gestured to Lucinda, who was standing behind the wheelchair. “One of us will take him back in a bit. Go mingle.”

      With a simple nod, Lucinda made her way toward Josh. Eve gripped the chair and pushed her father toward Reid and Nora. Once Nora spotted their dad, she rushed forward, arms wide.

      “I hope this is okay, Dad.” She threw her arms around him before leaning back to search his face. “I wanted to surprise everyone, to ease some of the tension this family has been dealing with from the trouble with the Newports and your illness.”

      At the mention of the Newports, Eve searched for Graham, but couldn’t find him. Surely he hadn’t left. He wouldn’t. Somewhere he was waiting for his chance to get her alone again.

      “This is perfect, Nora,” their father said. “I’m so happy for you guys and having the wedding here is an excellent idea.”

      Nora straightened and said to Eve, “I hope you’ll stand up by my side.”

      Eve hugged her sister. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

      When Nora pulled away, she looked toward Eve’s flat stomach, then back up into her eyes. “Everything okay?”

      Eve simply nodded, not wanting to get into this now.

      Dread filled her. No, she couldn’t get into this now, or even an hour from now. This night belonged to Nora and Reid. The baby news would definitely have to wait, but for how long? As much as Eve would love to shield her child from the fallout, she knew she’d have to just tell her family and not worry about the timing. But telling them right now was definitely out of the question.

      Stealing the night from Nora and Reid wasn’t right.

      A flash from the corner of her eye had her turning. The man in the striking Mardi Gras mask moved toward her. There was no way Graham could get this close to her family. He wouldn’t purposely give away his identity, but still the idea of him getting within talking distance had Eve excusing herself from her sisters and father.

      “You need to go,” she whispered as she walked by him.

      Eve kept walking, knowing he was right behind her. When they reached the foyer, Eve smiled at one of Nora’s friends who was heading down the hall toward the bathroom.

      Once the foyer was empty, Graham lifted his mask to rest it on the top of his head. With his back to the rest of the house, he stared down at her. He wasn’t too concerned about the risk of being seen, not with the way he was standing.

      “I can’t tell them,” Eve murmured. “Not tonight.”

      She hated this. Hated that such an innocent child, a child she loved with all her heart, was being kept a secret like there was something...dirty. A child should be celebrated, not hidden.

      Graham’s hands slid up her bare arms, his fingers curled over her shoulders. “I know.”

      He pulled her into his embrace and Eve willingly went. She hated leaning on anyone, but right now, they were a team, whether either of them wanted to admit it or not. And she had to admit, having Graham’s arms around her felt...right. But that couldn’t be. Nothing about having him here, let alone his embracing her as if he cared, was right. This affair had started as a whirlwind and they were caught up, that’s all. There could be nothing more.

      “Let’s go away,” he whispered into her ear. “We’ll go to my cabin in Tennessee for a few days and relax. Nothing will bother us, you can rest, and we can figure out a plan that will work for our child and our families.”

      Was that even possible? She’d give anything to be able to escape for a few days, to come to terms with everything and figure out a way to work with Graham. But if she went away with him, she knew what that meant...there would be more of what had transpired in the pool house.

      Eve sighed and pulled back. “My mind is all over the place.” She glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. “Let’s go out onto the porch.”

      Once they were outside, she led him down to where the lights weren’t shining right on them. The chilly air hit her hard and Graham instantly took off his black jacket and draped it around her shoulders. His familiar woodsy scent hit her, and the warmth from the jacket where it had hugged his body was just like having his arms around her.

      “I keep battling myself where you’re concerned,” she went on, gripping the lapels closer together. “I want to keep my distance physically, but then I see you and—”

      “I don’t even have to see you to want you.”

      “Graham, we have to think of what’s best here.”

      “I am.” He leaned in closer, crowding her against the side of the house. “Right now, I’m thinking that escaping for a few days is exactly what we need. We would have time to talk without interruptions. I can fly the helicopter and nobody would have to know where you and I went. We’ll both just say we’re away on business.”

      Eve closed her eyes, giving the idea more thought than she probably should. “You make this seem so simple.”

      “Say the word and I’ll make sure it’s simple,” he whispered against her mouth. “All you’ll have to do is pack a bag.”

      There was a reason Graham was one of the top lawyers in Chicago. The man could persuade anyone with that charm of his. He made his case so perfectly, so convincingly. Eve opened her eyes, meeting his bright blue stare.

      “When do we leave?”

      * * *

      “You’re СКАЧАТЬ